Before He Was Dead
by bardsgrl4evr
Summary: Prompt was passed on to me via LJ. Spike returns to the mother land to settle some issues with a certain Headmaster. Dawn follows after him and naturally finds trouble within the Hogwarts walls.
1. Chapter 1

"Little Bit," a voice in the night whispered to the sleeping girl and she rolled over to it moaning in delight. Cool fingers brushed against her warm head.

"Nibbit, I won't be around come morning. There's trouble at home," his soft voice seeped into her and he sighed. Spike wished he could wake her but he knew Dawn wouldn't let him leave without her. England was just too dangerous for his Little Bit.

"I won't be gone but for a short while. You'll hardly miss me. This is a secret between us, the Scoobies aren't to know. Can I trust you to keep my secret Dawn?"

Spike smiled as Dawn nodded her head and murmured, "Sure Spike." He kissed the top of her head before stepping up to the open window and fluttering curtains. Spike cast one last look towards Dawn and leapt out into the fading night.

BOC 

"Thank you for flying Delta Airlines. We hope you had a pleasant flight and enjoy the rest of your day." The cheerful voice over the intercom buzzed through Spike's ears and he cringed at its perkiness.

"Can't wait to get the hell off this bloody plane," Spike muttered to himself as he slipped past the other passengers. Although he was crammed pack into a tiny metal box with fifty living and breathing 'Happy Meals with legs,' Spike couldn't be distracted by the fact he had been flying miles above the earth.

He hurried down the aisle, desperate to get back on solid ground. Spike stepped off the plane and had to stop himself from kissing the soil beneath his feet. A lanky man with stringy black hair watched Spike with suspicious eyes and paid no mind to the other passengers unloading.

Spike sniffed the air as a hint of familiarity hit him. The scent of limp root and ashes emitted from the man dressed in black pants and a long leather jacket and Spike smirked.

"You came out the dusty dungeons on my account? Gee I'm touched." The man rolled his dark eyes at Spike and he pointed to one of the loading docks to which the two of them approached.

"He would like you to be within the safety at the school before the sunrise. The Port Key is right over there, so if you'd hurry," the man briskly made his way to the yellow sports bag without leaving Spike time to object. The two reached for the bag simultaneously and the area around Spike warped into a fuzzed image.


	2. Chapter 2

The swirling air around Spike slowly began to focus and he found himself standing in front of an enormous castle, fortress was a better term for it.

"I see Dumble is still all about the extravagant features," Spike quipped as the man beside him dusted his pants off and started walking towards the castle's entrance. Spike quickly fell into step beside him as the door flew open and a middle aged woman practically ran out.

She threw her arms around Spike, and he quieted the growl from deep in his throat. Her pulse sang merrily as she hugged him tightly and Spike quelled his hunger by squeezing her briefly and reminding himself who it was that was hugging him without reserve.

"Minerva, please." The man rolled his eyes at his co-worker's behavior. "We do have places to be, like inside, where it's dark and away from sunlight."

At that she dropped her arms from around Spike and recovered herself, "of course, how inconsiderate of me. Inside now, come on," Minerva shooed Spike inside before he could get a word in edge wise.

The smell of bricks and magic filled Spike's nostrils and he smiled widely, "it's good to be back. Now Snape, where am I sleeping doing my stay?" Spike smirked at the Potions professor, "somewhere dark and damp I hope."

Snape merely rolled his eyes and made to exit the scene, "since I have a class to see to, Minerva can take you to the Headmaster. I'll be seeing the both of you later night, undoubtedly." With that, Snape slinked away to his dungeon leaving Spike alone with the Transfiguration professor.

Spike swept up Minerva's arm and cradled it in the nest of his arm. "As the Americans have coined so accurately, 'take me to your leader'."

She laughed and swept her free arm out in front of them, "right this way, kind sir."

As the two moved down the hall towards the faculty wing, a pair of red heads sprinted towards them quickly. Spike noted their approach and pushed Minerva against the small corridor to avoid being trampled. With his free hand, Spike reached out and grabbed a hold of one of the blurs, causing a yelp of surprise to come out of its mouth. The other screeched to a stop and turned in surprise.

"Fred and George Weasley, how many times are you been told no running in the halls!" Minerva recovered was the initial scare and now loomed over the two boys.

"Sorry Professor," the two rang out and Spike glared evilly at the one in his grasp.

"Dumbledore sent us," the one standing stated quickly.

"To find you," the other quipped in.

"Urgent matters," they finished together.

Minerva sighed heavily and motioned for Spike to put Fred down. He did so reluctantly and twitched his upper lip menacingly. "Don't let me catch you running around in these halls again, got it?"

Fred gulped loudly and nodded his head frantically, "yes sir."

Minerva pointed at the two boys, "detention with me tomorrow night, are we clear?"

"Yes ma'am," the twins chirped before power walking away from the two adults, as fast as they could without it being classified as running.

"Cute brats," Spike muttered as the boys disappeared.

"Fred and George Weasley, our company pranksters, there's not much else that can be said about them," Minerva reflected before continuing down the hall. "Come on, we shouldn't keep Dumbledore waiting much longer."

Minerva touched the gargoyle statue and it jumped aside to reveal the circular staircase. Spike followed her up the flight and to a wooden door. It swung open as they stepped up to it and without breaking stride Minerva marched into the office and stood in front of the desk that separated the elderly Headmaster and one of his longest teaching professors.

"You wanted to see me Headmaster?" Minerva asked as Spike settled into the bench at her side.

Dumbledore turned his chair to face the two and nodded solemnly, "it's the Potter boy, again."


End file.
